Tom Izzo to coach the Cavaliers?

• miller45452003

  I think I just read on ESPN that Izzo was going to reach out to Lebron. If Izzo ends up with the job, its kind of obvious the chosen one stays. Izzo is NOT leaving Michigan St. for a sub .500 team....money or not
• sportswizuhrd

  He showed up at the Michigan State basketball camp(kids version) today. More will have to come out of this by the last camp day on Thursday. Lets hope he makes a decision by then.
• Heretic

  

  thedynasty1998;389129 wrote:Sounds like it's; No Lebron, No Izzo. Izzo seems to want to know what Lebron is doing before accepting, and I don't blame him for that.

  
  Yeah, that's how I look at it. Izzo's basically a god in East Lansing and, if not for Coach K, would be on a short list of names to be considered the best college coach of this era. Big-name college coaches have a history of failing in the NBA. With LeBron, he can buck that trend. Without LeBron, well, he could still make the playoffs due to the lack of quality depth in the East, but would be at the mercy of Gilbert and his ability to bring in star-caliber players to have any real success.
  
  What it all comes down to is making a decision to stick with the sealed-in-stone definite success he'll continue to have at MSU...or rolling the dice and hoping things work out like he wants them to.
• hoops23

  

  Big name college coaches have a history of failing in the NBA because they usually take BAD jobs.
  
  None of the college coaches who failed took over good teams..
• thedynasty1998

  

  And if Lebron is around, he's taking over a good team. If Lebron leaves, he's taking over a bad team.
  
  Izzo knows this better than anyone and I'm sure is why he's so hesitant. If Lebron was already under contract, Izzo takes this job immediately.
• KR1245

  

  thedynasty1998;389774 wrote:And if Lebron is around, he's taking over a good team. If Lebron leaves, he's taking over a bad team.
  
  Izzo knows this better than anyone and I'm sure is why he's so hesitant. If Lebron was already under contract, Izzo takes this job immediately.

  
  We dont know that for sure. Izzo has been at Michigan State for quite some time. He is loved in the state of Michigan. Students and fans already held a rally for him. There are "we love Izzo" and "Dont go Izzo" signs all over campus and the building where his office is. Its not going to be an easy decision for him regardless of where Lebron is.
• hoops23

  

  thedynasty1998;389774 wrote:And if Lebron is around, he's taking over a good team. If Lebron leaves, he's taking over a bad team.
  
  Izzo knows this better than anyone and I'm sure is why he's so hesitant. If Lebron was already under contract, Izzo takes this job immediately.

  
  The Cavs without LeBron aren't a "bad team" they're an average team at best.
  
  However, Dan Gilbert is a GREAT owner, one who obviously Tom Izzo does believe in as he said himself that Gilbert was a great selling point for Cleveland. Dan Gilbert would have Cleveland winning games, with or without LeBron.
  
  Now, if LeBron leaves, we're obviously looking at a 1 or 2 year rebuild.
• Heretic

  

  Hoops
  You're right in saying that the Cavs aren't a bad team if LeBron leaves, but they are an uncertain team. They'd be in that ugly "good enough to stay out of the lottery, but not good enough to contend for a championship" tier. Izzo would have to fully trust that Gilbert would be able to do what it takes to get back to contention level. The thing that worries me about that is how I feel there is a definite degree of collusion among these top-tier players. If LeBron leaves Cleveland, in today's climate, I think that winds up leading to a situation where elite players look at the franchise as a "if he couldn't win rings there, who can?" place and the top players they get are ones who are looking for the fattest paycheck possible before anything else. They might win 45 or so games a year, but never will be a real factor.
• jpake1

  

  Without LBJ, they won't be doing shit in a year or two. That team would get worse in 1 or 2 years. They'd have to NAIL the draft to rebuild that quickly. Without LBJ, they very well be a lottery team.
• hoops23

  

  No shit they'd get worse, who would have thought that?
  
  But they still wouldn't be a bad team to coach.
  
  Or should I say bad job?
  
  Either way, Dan Gilbert is one of the best owners in sports, LeBron or no LeBron, he will build a team capable of winning a title.
  
  LeBron has been in the league for 7 years, he has 0 titles. This means 7 teams without LeBron has won... Point is, you don't need LeBron to win a title. Of course I'd love to keep LeBron because he makes that chance of winning a title much greater than not.
• sleeper

  

  If Lebron leaves that team is lucky to win 30 games.
• BR1986FB

  As was mentioned, Izzo wants to reach out to Lebron but from what they were saying on WKNR this morning, it sounds like Lebron wants no part of it. So I guess Izzo is going to have to make his decision without any input from LBJ. Not that Lebron was going to tell Izzo which way he was leaning anyway.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Without Lebron, the Cavs are likely a lottery team.
  
  No one has said Gilbert is a bad owner, but people need to quit throwing out "Gilbert is a good owner". It really doesn't even make that much sense. He's not playing nor coaching. He's writing the checks. He's been fortunate to have the biggest star in the NBA on his team. Their personnel moves have been terrible, he stuck with a bad GM, an average NBA coach, but was lucky enough to have the best player in the game.
  
  Maybe I'm just a glass half empty kind of guy, but I just don't see how Gilbert is going to get things turned around in 1-2 years without Lebron. He's stuck with Mo Williams and Jamison because no one really wants them. Varejao's will get exposed without Lebron and will prove to be overpaid. They don't have a draft pick and their only promising young player is Hickson, someone you certainly are not building a team around.
  
  If Lebron leaves, Cleveland is set back at least 5 years and are waiting for the lottery balls to go their way again.
• IggyPride00

  

  No one has said Gilbert is a bad owner, but people need to quit throwing out "Gilbert is a good owner". It really doesn't even make that much sense. He's not playing nor coaching. He's writing the checks. He's been fortunate to have the biggest star in the NBA on his team.

  I am interested to see how willing he is to still write checks if Lebron leaves and half of the season ticket base goes with him in the 2011-2012 season. The Cavs were smart to make people lock in for next year already early so they won't feel the sting so bad, but the double whammy of the franchise value cratering and the season ticket base drying up might put the financial handcuffs on the franchise in a way that Gilbert has never had to deal with unless he wants to take massive financial losses every year for a team that is not competing for a championship (highly doubtful).
  
  On the Izzo thing, as said above Lebron is not going to field that call. He has set this free agency thing up for a few years now to be his dog and pony show, he is not going to just throw that away to let Izzo know what he is planning on doing. It would ruin the suspense, and Lebron will not let that happen. He loves the attention and thrives on it, spoiling it by telegraphing his plans is not his M.O.
• thedynasty1998

  

  First off, I don't think you can say Lebron loves the attention and thrives on it. He has been silent during this whole process and didn't even show up to a finals game that he had a ticket to because he wanted to avoid the public. If anything, he's been in hiding.
  
  I totally agree about Gilberts situation though. People are so quick to say, Gilbert is willing to spend money and pay the luxury tax. Well that's when he's selling out the arena and is trying to lure Lebron back to Cleveland. If Lebron leaves, attendance drops at least 10% and maybe as much as up to 35%. Those are huge numbers in terms of revenue.
• BR1986FB

  Lebron loves the fact that there will be a dog & pony show. This is the "Summer of Lebron." It's ALL about him and he's going to milk it for all it's worth. Maybe he's been "in hiding" as far as avoiding the public, for now, but once free agency hits he's gonna savor EVERY minute of the attention/wooing/courting he will receive.
• thedynasty1998

  

  You might be right, but I really don't get it. When Lebron is on the court, he's all about putting on a show, so I guess it makes sense.
  
  But the guy is a free agent, and is the biggest superstar in all of sports. Of course there is going to be talk about him, but from all accounts, he's been hush on everything. And I wouldn't be all that surprised if he picks a team within the first couple weeks of free agency as I think he already knows what he's going to do.
• BR1986FB

  I agree with most of what you said but make NO mistake about it, he WANTS to be courted & wooed. He may already know which team he's going to select but he WANTS to go through this process and be fawned over.
• hoops23

  

  thedynasty1998;390130 wrote:First off, I don't think you can say Lebron loves the attention and thrives on it. He has been silent during this whole process and didn't even show up to a finals game that he had a ticket to because he wanted to avoid the public. If anything, he's been in hiding.
  
  I totally agree about Gilberts situation though. People are so quick to say, Gilbert is willing to spend money and pay the luxury tax. Well that's when he's selling out the arena and is trying to lure Lebron back to Cleveland. If Lebron leaves, attendance drops at least 10% and maybe as much as up to 35%. Those are huge numbers in terms of revenue.

  
  Attendance isn't even close to being the biggest source of income for the Cavs. Marketing and TV deals are, most of which (including the biggest TV deal in the NBA) don't expire for the next 2 or 3 seasons.
  
  Gilbert is a billionaire.
  
  Gilbert has said money is not an issue, no matter what happens this offseason, his #1 goal remains bringing a championship to Cleveland. Dan Gilbert is widely respected round the league as an owner. He's a guy that people will want to play for, especially because he cares about winning and he's able to give out the $$$. He's rebuilt EVERYTHING about the Cavs. He's renovated the Q, made new facilities for the players, he invests time into the team..
  
  Gilbert is one of the fortunate owners in sports. He doesn't use his team as a source of income, he uses it as a hobby, thus cutting back on spending isn't something he has to do.
  
  Also, let's not actlike Gilbert is alone in this deal. He's got a bunch of minority owners, a couple of which are very wealthy themselves. The book is still out on the Chinese Investors, depending on what LeBron does, but they're a big part of the franchise as well.
  
  With or without LeBron, if the Cavs continue to win, people will continue to come. Clevelanders support their teams as long as winners are produced. Especially in 20,000 seat arenas.
• thedynasty1998

  

  The TV deal and fans come out to see Lebron. Let's just state the facts. Gilbert can't plan on that TV deal being the same in a few years if Lebron leaves and interest in the Cavs falls off.
  
  And I don't care what he says, he's a smart businessman and won't just throw money on something that isn't going to profit.
• KR1245

  

  Back to Izzo
  
  Beat writter for MSU was just on ABAO.......he seems to think Izzo will make his decision within the next 24 hours
• KR1245

  

  Looks like Izzo is staying at Michigan State
  
  Latest from Windy:
  
  According to a source, #Cavs are still conducting their coaching search so it appears as if Izzo will be staying at Michigan State.
• miller45452003

  KR1245;390597 wrote:Looks like Izzo is staying at Michigan State
  
  Latest from Windy:
  
  According to a source, #Cavs are still conducting their coaching search so it appears as if Izzo will be staying at Michigan State.

  Good...now lets get Byron Scott in here! It's been known LBJ wants a former player as a coach.
• KR1245

  

  I dont think Byron Scott is a done deal. It looks like he wants to wait to see what the Lakers are going to do after the finals
• Pick6

  

  I'd like to get Doc Rivers. Pretty sure I heard on Around the Horn his contract is up after this year.